


Reminders

by BunnySmoog



Category: overwatch
Genre: F/M, Please tell me any suggestions, Rating may change if I write more, This is my first time writing for McCree, maybe slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-09-27 12:52:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10021511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunnySmoog/pseuds/BunnySmoog
Summary: Time passing her by has become one of Mei's largest fears.





	1. Chapter 1

Sleep was one of her best friends and worst enemies. Calm relaxing naps after being busy with a lot of work were the friends. Filled with fluffy dreams with the smiles of those she cared for, and a beautiful healthy world. It was those deep sleeps that left her disoriented both in and out of sleep that were her enemy. Many times Mei had woken up with tears streaming down her face, sometimes knowing what dreams had caused them. Those dark types of rest were slowly becoming less common, something noted by many members of the team. 76 could see on the battlefield that she was becoming more aware again. Angela had noted that some of the tired bags under Mei's eyes were starting to fade. Winston could see her passion for the Earth returning in force. But as uncommon as they were starting to become, they still were not lost.

Resting after a mission could always be hard, but for once Mei was falling asleep on the airship, her eyelids quickly drooping once she had taken a seat. Her back rested hard against the cryotube on her back, her shoulders awkwardly spread as the unconsciously searched for flat purchase. Mei's head leaned against Snowball, pressing the robot firmly in it's container, though the droid did not seem quite happy about it. Lucio started to say something about it, hearing Snowballs small little beeps of discomfort, or perhaps low battery, when Jesse carefully stepped towards her, the spurs on his boots jingling with each footfall. The jingling almost woke her, but the need for rest was too strong. She had been busy today, running around to put up walls, sneaking around Talon agents. He had been surprised at how well she was doing on the field, and even more surprised at how she had put an ice wall under his feet to make his Deadeye that much more effective. The woman deserved a bit of rest.

Carefully he loosened the straps of her pack, Jesse's human fingers gently brushing her cheek as he worked. A smiled lifted slightly on his face at that, a bit of surprise at feeling of her warmth. Angela had told him before that Mei's cryostasis had left her running a few degrees colder then normal, but in a way he still didn't expect that the natural blush Mei held on her face would still be warm to the touch. Noticing he had paused for a moment after that, he quickly but carefully continued his work, gently trying to work her arms through the holes. For a moment he wondered just how many times Reyes had taken care of him like this after a long mission, but that thought was quickly pushed away. The man he knew, had looked up to was dead. 

With Mei's arms loosed, all it would take now for her to be able to rest with ease is to actually ease Snowball and tank from behind her. Jesse considered for a moment, trying to figure out the best method to do so. The best way for it to work would to have her lean forward and so he gestured to Lucio. Carefully Jesse leaned Mei forward over his arm, the soft fur of her coat tickling his arm hairs, while Lucio then removed the equipment from behind her. With the space cleared, McCree let her rest back, expecting her body to look much calmer. To an extent it did, but as they soared over the world she desperately wanted to save, her eyes started fluttering around, a fitful dream taking over her mind. 

McCree watched over her for the rest of the flight home. Not closely, in fact he seemed to sit on the opposite side of the ship, his attention always elsewhere in the view of his team. Jesse chewed lightly on the unlit cigar between his lips while the ship started to descend to the base, waiting for the doors to lower before planning to wake the scientist up. He had never seen her sleep this heavily after a mission, much less on the drop ship. Usually she would spend the time looking over her equipment or chatting with the others on board, so he wanted to let her get as much rest as possible. As the ship finally landed, the rest of the team was quick to clear out, excited to clean up and enjoy their time with other activities. Jesse took his time to get up, his spurs still jingling as he made his way across the ship, Mei's equipment in hand. 

He placed his prosthetic on her shoulder, gently trying to nudge her away. Gentle as he may have been, a dam of fear and tension had been forming in her mind, and now that dam was breaking. Mei woke with a start, her eyes wide but still bleary, fogged with the frosty ice of her dreams. "What day is it?" Mei asks with her heart pounding, fingers clenching at the arms of her seat. Thoughts were running rapidly, her fear of time passing her by again in overdrive. 

"'S Tuesday. Just got back to the base from the mission. You were lookin' awful cozy there so we let you be." Jesse watched as her fingers slowly started relaxing, her head slowly clearing away the fog. Seeing her starting to return brought a little bit of a smile on his face. "I reckon in fact that we're here in time for dinner, if you're up to it." He realized that his hand was still on her shoulder and quickly drew it away with a slight clear of his throat. Mei looked hesitant to say anything for a moment before she caught view of him holding Snowball.

"Actually I need to do some work. I think maybe Snowball was damaged on the field. Plus, I need to check on the data we recorded today..." She paused to look in his eyes, catching only a moment of disappointment in them before he brushed it away. "I'm sorry." Mei says softly, the hint of a blush starting to raise to her cheeks at the easy going smile he gave her. 

"Ain't a problem. Make sure ya take care of yourself, y'hear?" Jesse says as he gives Mei her equipment before slowly walking towards the exit of the ship. He lights his cigar as he walks, the trail of tobacco and spurs jingling growing fainter as he left. It wasn't until after McCree had been gone that Mei finally wondered when her equipment had been taken off.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes a nice gesture and a kind smile can push away pieces of self anger.

Her walk from the dropship to the lab had been brisk, the pace of her stride brushing the loose hairs of her bun back. The charm of Mei's pin swung nearly precariously as her hair threatened to fall from it's usual place. Each step that she took was another strike in her head telling her to push away any thoughts of the cowboy's easy smile, the weight of his hand on her shoulder, the twinge of disappointment when she turned down dinner. Luckily many were already in the mess hall, unable to see or comment on her heavy footfalls. She wasn't angry, not in the slightest in fact...well, not at McCree. He was just being his usual charming self. She'd seen it many times before as he casually worked around the base and the battlefield. Even on the occasions where they would venture into towns for the purpose of just relaxing Mei had caught him acting kind. She was mad instead at herself.

Mei arrived at the lab much sooner then she expected, startled out of her self-frustrations by Athena asking for identification. With the Junkers making weary acquaintances, Winston had made the AI instate higher security protocols on some of the most important of areas. After stating her name, submitting to a retinal scan, and scanning her keycard, Mei was finally granted access inside the slightly chilled room. The walls glowed with a mix of the oranges of a fading sunset and blue light of the screens scattered around the room. If someone were to carefully watch they could see the time line of the scientists that resided here, how they moved around the room, how they worked, how clean they were. To Mei, it was a place of comfort.

She worked for hours, re-configuring, reinstalling, polishing. It wasn't until well after the sun had given the last of it's direct warmth for the day and the stars had rose to take it's place that Mei finally paused. Her stomach growled as she looked over the progress that she had made. Snowball had been returned to perfect running order and was now sitting on the charging base, the droid compacted as the batteries refilled. That was it, however. The file holding the data Snowball had recorded during the mission sat ready on the holoscreen in front of her, waiting. Mei lifted her hand, about to open the files when a voice rang through her head. _Make sure ya take care of yourself, y'hear?_ Her stomach growled again as if to punctuate McCree's point.

With a small noise of defeat she stood up, dragging her fingers across the screen to close the programs, the screen falling to a blank glow, the blue lights paling the room. Mei stretched as a small yawn escaped her, bones popping from their rested position. She flexes her fingers a few times, making sure the blood and heat was still flowing to them and warming the digits before giving Snowball a pat on the head. "Hǎo de." Be good.

This path through the halls was much more relaxed, quieter. As she got closer she could smell the faint drifts of spices still in the air, lingering even though the mess hall had long been abandoned. Mei walked a bit faster, realizing she only had so much time to get to the meal before the Junkers would come lumbering from their room, stealing up the left overs. With that spark of simple excitement she pushed the door open quickly eager to let the spices warm her mouth. To push a door open quickly, there most be force behind it. The force Mei put into the door was transferred into McCree who had been standing on the other side, about to leave for his own room. He stumbled back with a bit of a grunt, surprised by the door swinging at him just as much as Mei was surprised that he had been standing behind it.

"I'm so sorry! I'm sorry, sorry." The woman bowed her head in apology, an embarrassed flush rising to her cheeks. 

"Woah there, Darling. What's gotcha in such a rush?" Jesse said in his smooth drawl, his eyebrow lifted as he looked to Mei. Her cheeks flushed more as she started to explain why, her voice having turned into more of a mumble the an explanation. He leaned in as she spoke, trying to get a clearer understanding, but finding none easily from her. "Let's start over at the beginning. Somethin' bout spices and stealing now?" Mei looked up at him, the apologetic look not lost to him. "Calm down now, ain't hurt. No harm, no foul. I'd like ta hear what has you more twisted than a tornado." 

Hearing that she hadn't hurt him she took a breath to calm down. Honestly, thinking over why she had been in such a rush to get into the mess hall was a bit silly. Silly enough that when she was explaining it, a few giggles slipped their way in. "Well I had remembered that you told me to take care of myself...I reached a place in my work that I could take a break so I started to come for food. But I remembered that Jamison is terrible and would have stolen it all if I did not hurry!" A smile raises on her faces as speaks. "I think perhaps though, even if he did take the rest, I could have made my own food. I'm sorry for not slowing down." 

Jesse gives her a nod and a smile relaxed around the cigar hanging between his lips. "Well there's still some grub sitting in there. I was bout to head off but I reckon you could use a bit of company after staring at those screens." He stepped out of her way to give Mei clearance to the kitchen, slowly following behind her. McCree made his way to the drink fridge and pulled it open. Various bottles of protein shakes, mountain dew, simple beers in dark and light brews, water bottles and more stared back at McCree as the light inside cast his shadow on the floor. He took hold of a glass bottle before looking to Mei. "Would ya like a drink? Gotta warn ya, it'll have a bit of bite." 

Mei had made herself busy with climbing on the counters to reach the bowl that she wanted, and after hopping back down with her treasure she had filled it with the spiced beef that had been made. Experimentally she tried a piece of it cold before placing it inside the microwave. As the bowl slowly rotated and the waves forced aggravated molecules to bump into one another, she pondered his question. When was the last time she had a drink? A memory of her calendar appeared in her mind. _Drinks, Hanzo 8pm Feb 24._ Mei guessed this would be another event to write down. "I think that sounds very good. Thank you, McCree." 

"You can call me Jesse, y'know. Won't bother me none." He says with a wink. After grabbing a second drink and swinging the fridge closed, Jesse made quick work of the bottle caps using his metal hand, the ridges leaving tiny scratches on the grainy looking metal. He was about to give her the drink when the microwave chimed causing Mei to jump slightly. He couldn't hold back the chuckle that came up as the Chinese woman quickly checked to see that the meat was warm all the way through. She threw a small pout over her shoulder at him as she pulled the bowl out and started to make her way to the tables.

"How would you feel bout sitting outside? The fresh air would be nice." He asks her, still holding both of the chilled glass bottles. "Ain't no pressure if you don't want to." 

Mei looked out the window to the tables sitting outside, noting the umbrella was down. "I think I would rather stay inside. I would prefer not to get wet." Jesse lifted an eyebrow and looked outside, spotting only a few clouds blotting out the stars twinkling overhead. He gave a shrug of his shoulder before making his way to sit at the table across from her. She gave him a soft smile that made it to her eyes, thankful that he didn't question her judgement. Jesse felt a tiny bit of heat climb his cheeks and he fought the urge to pull his hat over his face. 

For a few moments they fell into a comfortable silence as she chewed at the meat, carefully breaking some of the vegetables between her teeth. The silence was only broken after she took a drink of the bottle that McCree had offered to her, the bubbles of the soda making her nose wrinkle. Mei turned and pulled her arm up to her face just in time to catch a sneeze, and the high pitched squeak that accompanied it. Still though the sound was loud enough for McCree to hear. It caused a smile to pull up at his lips, a chuckle to shake the air between them. "That was just about the cutest darned noise I've ever heard." He said before his phone went off in his pocket. After looking over the screen he shakes his head. "Can't believe I forgot I made plans with Hanzo." Jesse stood up from his seat, pulled the hat from his head and pressed it to his chest before giving a small bow to her. "You have a nice night Miss Mei." 

As Jesse left the room, Mei could feel the heat of the full blush written across her face, and it followed her through the night until she went to bed. She knew that Jesse had been acting genuine, she could feel it. Time did not pass her so easily this night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Started to work on this after a while of thinking. Got inspired by remington-zero on tumblr. Thank you for the support and suggestions! Will try to be more careful with editing before uploading from now on.


	3. Chapter 3

Jesse McCree had been up much too late last night, filled with too many drinks, and judging by the searing light streaming in the window, up much too early. He could swear that Winston had given him this room on purpose, trying a round about way of breaking his drinking habits, much like how Angela tried to keep him from smoking. In the end of it all, Jesse knew that they were just caring for him in their own way, and he certainly appreciated it, but he knew that bad habits are hard to break. He contemplated rolling back over, pulling the blankets over his head and dealing with the sour taste and smell of his mouth in exchange for a few more moments of sleep. Even as he tried laying there however, he still felt dizzy, the fuzzy numbness of the night's whiskey still lingering in his blood. It made him feel a bit sick to his stomach paired with the bright lights of the sun, forcing him to get out of bed. 

With a yawn he stretched, his arms arching towards the ceiling before he dropped them to his sides, rolling his shoulders. After warming the muscles a bit he donned a t-shirt, proudly showing a well worn American flag on the chest, and a pair of sweatpants. He knew that he would have at least the rest of the day before he could be sent on another mission as per protocol, so he stayed relaxed. Though a few of the other members complaining had been a large part of the reason they had breaks as well. With so many of them living other lives as well as playing hero in this vigilante Overwatch, they needed some time between one mission and the next to take care of other obligations. Jesse preferred to move from one mission to the next with as little a break as possible anymore these days. Something to keep his mind away from the prying thoughts of the past. He kept working in hopes to earn his peace.

Finally moving down the hall, his feet scuffled along the floor, the chill of the metal not bothering him. All his years in the desert sun made his skin always feel warm, making any sort of cold feel more like relief, something that drew him in. For a moment he simply stood in a hall, closing his eyes and relaxing in the dim glow of the lights, relieved after the bright sun. Sometimes the way that the light bounced off of the water and shores of Gibraltar reminded him of his younger years on sand. It was never kind to his hangovers then either. 

What was kind, however, was food and coffee. While certainly not the cure for the miserable feeling in his gut, it certainly made the overall discomfort of the situation much more bearable. Much to his luck, the smell of cinnamon wafted in the air, carefully mixing with the scent of freshly brewed coffee. Already Jesse could feel his mouth watering, an impressive task given the dry taste in the back of his throat. He wove his way to the mess hall, quick to push open the door. A pile of golden, powder sugar dusted french toast slices were stacked on a plate, begging to be slathered in syrup with a side of eggs and a drowned with a hot cup of coffee. He stared for a moment before hearing a soft giggle.

Mei. She had been working for a little over an hour now. Despite the fact that she was not faced with any nightmares, cryostasis still left her sleep schedule wanting for structure. After deciding that she wanted to do something for the team, breakfast seemed like the easiest choice. Her sweet tooth had admittedly been her driving force, the idea of eggs was there, but ultimately was left behind for the rest of the meal. She was working efficiently, four slices at a time, as well as three different coffee makers in process, the dark liquid pooling in the pot below. Mei had just turned to place more upon her growing pile, continually preparing for the amount the group would need when she saw McCree. She saw the simple look of want on his face. 

"I do not have anything else ready, but you are free to start making yourself a plate," Mei offered him, able to guess that the man could probably use a pick me up. For a moment he considered it, simply enjoying the meal that was made for him, but he didn't want to leave her to work alone...not to mention, he felt like the meal couldn't be complete without a bit more protein.

"Now how 'bout we team again to finish up this mighty fine meal you've made for us today. I'll make some eggs for ya to round this out, so long as you sit down and eat with me when we're done. Didn't feel right leavin' you last night just as we were gettin' close to conversation. I'm more then sure you have some interestin' things to talk about." Jesse gave her a smile before opening the fridge to retrieve more eggs. After getting out a large pan he went to work on the stove top next to Mei, putting a small amount of coconut oil in the bottom, letting the heat spread it across the bottom while he removed green and red peppers from the fridge as well. After taking the time to prepare the peppers and letting the oil heat, he finally cracked a few eggs on the edge of the pan, letting the insides fall and start to sizzle. 

"It's awful kind of you to decide to do this, I'm certainly glad I'm able t' help you." Mei smiles at his words, her cheeks flushing as her shoulder brushes against his bicep, warmth against her skin while a chill from her danced against his. She smiles at him, eyes catching with his, distracted for a moment before he nods to her pan. "Y'might wanna flip those." 

She looks down, her eyes widen in surprise. "Ahh, I'm sorry! Thank you!" Mei quickly flips them over, the top looking slightly burnt. A wave of embarrassment rolled over her as he chuckled. 

"Luckily I happen to enjoy some things a lil' on the darker side, including french toast and coffee." Jesse gives her a wink before folding over the eggs, breaking the yolk and starting to mix them. He dropped in peppers, letting them start to sizzle and mix with the rest of the eggs, as well as some spices as soon as he was able to add them in. They worked in silence for a while, brushing against one another a few times, each getting a shock of warmth and chill with each touch. 

"Thank you very much for helping me, Jesse." He faltered for a moment in his smooth movements, shocked to hear her call him by his first name, momentarily forgetting that he had given Mei permission to do so. Her eyebrows wrinkled as she turned off the heating element beneath the pan that she had been cooking with. "I'm sorry, I was not wrong it's just that...you told me." 

Jesse shakes his head. "No, I'm sorry Miss Mei, I was just surprised ta' hear you call me by my name. Nearly forgot that I asked you to call me such. Hope you can forgive me for bein' loose minded." He moved the pan of eggs off of the heat before turning off the element he had been working on. "I reckon though that it's about time we got ta' tastin' this."

"I agree! We should take our plates outside, however. The storm passed through while I was sleeping last night so it would it should be very nice. If you tell me how you would enjoy your coffee, I would be happy to bring it out for you." Mei gave him a grin and a nod, obviously forgiving the confusion. 

"Much obliged Miss Mei. If I could have it black with two spoons of sugar that'd be mighty kind." Jesse gives her a soft smile that set her heart aflutter. After setting up their plates he walked outside, setting up their seats across from one another at the picnic table on the porch. Mei watched him for a moment before mixing the cups of coffee. Her mug was lightened slightly with a splash of creamer along with the sparce bit of sugar she put into her own cup. After taking a breath she followed him out into the sunlight. Luckily the sun had rose enough that it no longer directly streamed into their eyes. 

"You know Jesse, you do not have to call me miss. I would be happy for you to call me Mei." The way she smiled made his heart pound, his throat feeling dry once more. Mei watched him as she took a bite, the sweet sugar of the syrup dancing on her tongue. 

"I would be honored to call ya' such. Thank you fer lettin' me know." He said after clearing his throat, then continuing by eating a few bites. "This is best damn toast I've had. I 'preciate that you took the time to do this for us." 

Their meal continued, exchanging a few topics, both mostly just enjoying the fruits of the other's labor. As they ate however, both of them felt a draw. Every small brush of his feet against her slippers drew them a little closer. Every moment their eyes caught, hearts beat a little bit faster. Every chance their hands came close to touching, both silently wished they would. As they both finished their meals they stood, intending to clean up. 

"I should probably go. I have still not examined the data that we recorded on the mission, not to mention all the information from last night's storm." Mei glanced down to her plate on the table, the sticky amber syrup leaving a slight coating on the plate. She looked back up to his face, both pairs of brown eyes latching to the other's, both drawn to the other. Cautiously, slowly, as if in a trance of one another, they leaned in, her stretching to her toes, him leaning his head down. Their lips came close to meeting when Lena came bursting through the door. Mei yelped in surprise and suddenly backed away from Jesse, the hot embarrassing blush burning pink on both of their cheeks.

"Hiya guys wanted to thank- Opps! Sorry!" They hardly had a moment to try and defend anything before she was gone, the British woman already falling back in her timeline.

Jesse coughed before rubbing the back of his head. "Well I certainly had a wonderful time speakin' with ya'. I'm mighty thankful for the meal." He says before dipping his head, carrying his plate inside before dropping it in the sink, following the golden rule that those who cooked did not have to clean. Mei watched through the window as he left through the mess hall doors, her heart thundering in her chest. She knew that any thunder that had been recorded the night before could not beat out her own.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part one of a mission.

It was weeks before they saw one another again. Both parties had been on missions, some lasting longer than others. Few messages were passed between them, and not one gave mention to the shared breakfast. Mei had been thinking on such matters, having opened the data recorded from that morning. Seeing this, she focused in, almost wondering if the morning had really been as warm as she had felt. Her thoughts were tugged away when Winston pulled her aside.

“Excuse me for interrupting your work, but I wanted to check if you remembered the Ecopoint in Canabina Chile?” The gorilla gave her an expectant look. 

Mei turned from the screens in front of her, looking up to Winston. Of course Mei remembered it, having visited the point many times before being stationed in Antarctica. “Yes I remember. Has there been a problem?”

“Yes, in fact there have been many reports of suspected Talon activity in the area. Ana and I decided that you would be the best person to investigate these claims and ensure that if anyone were to visit the point, they would find nothing of interest. We would like you to leave for this mission within the next 42 hours. The dropship is being prepared now, so there should be no delay as soon as you…” Winston looks back to his files, squinting and adjusting his glasses before he spoke again. “You and one other agent are ready. Everyone who should be reporting to dinner tonight is cleared medically and time wise.everyone else is already away or will be debriefing.”

She gives the gorilla a curt nod, her hairpin jingling as the metals clicked. “I will report with another agent as soon as possible.”

“Excellent! This mission will likely not have any combat scenarios, however I would still suggest bringing your equipment for security.” And with that, the impromptu meeting ended, leaving Mei with her work once more.

\------------------------

Hours passed by unnoticed as the sun shifted through the sky, slowly bringing a golden light into the lab once more. Winston had long left for a mission, Satya preferred to work in her own personal lab, and Torbjorn was off visiting his family. The silence had been peaceful through the day as she worked, but as dinner started to approach, she felt a sense of weariness and loneliness. When Athena finally announced on the comms that dinner was served, Mei jumped up excitedly, barely taking a moment to power down her computer screens before she started out the door. Before the doors closed, Mei spoke back to Snowball. “Hao de.” Be good.

The halls were clear as she walked, footfalls echoing across the metal paneling. Briefly she wondered how many ghosts walked these halls, expecting their feet to echo. A shiver ran down her spine and her pace quickened. Soon enough she made it to the mess hall, breathing in the scent of charcoal and grilled meats. 76 stood behind the grill, ever threatening mask still covering his face. She knew the old soldier as many did, but most gave him the peace, only asking that he remove it to eat meals with the rest of the tetableena, Hana, Lucio and Zenyatta sat gathered around one of the tables, laughing as they spoke. A few bottles sat on the table, showing that others really were on down time. 

Mei took a seat next to Lena, giving the group a happy smile. “Hiya everyone. The food smells delicious, thank you for making it.” 

76 gave an approving grunt and nod before looking back to the grill. Lucio gave a friendly wave and a hey. Hana barely looked up from her handheld before she was drawn back in to fight more monsters. Lena gave a happy cheer and wrapped her arms around Mei in a hug. 

“Hey luv! We missed you today. Did you forget about going out to town?” 

An embarrassed flush drew itself across Mei’s cheeks. Before she had a chance, Zenyatta spoke up. “Welcome. You were missed, as Miss Oxton has said, but we hope you made advancements in your work.”

The climatologist gave a nod before finally taking her turn to speak. “I'm so sorry for not coming today. Winston informed me of a mission I have very soon and I got lost thinking about it and work.”

The others murmur in understanding. Lucio takes a drink from his bottle before speaking up. “How soon is your mission? None of us received details.”

“I have to go to an old ecopoint in Chile. Winston said the dropship could leave almost right away.”

Lena perks up before she gasps, a look of understanding on her face. “So that's why he wanted me to make sure the ship was ready before we left for town today.”

“Howdy.” Was all Jesse said as he walked into the room. He strode across the floor over to the table, taking a seat next to Lucio and across from Lena. Mei’s pulse quickened as he gave her an easy going smile. The group gave their welcomes before the younger crowd started to fall back into their previous conversations. After not too much longer, 76 set a large platter on the table.

“Dig in.” 

Everyone was quick to pull some to their plate, the aromas having already wet their palettes. Conversations fell muted to the sounds of eating, as well as Zenyatta ‘humming’. It was peaceful, with the exception of the electricity between Jesse and Mei every time their eyes met. Finally, Lena broke the silence with a noise of surprise, the faint sound of jingling under the table. Mei looked to the pilot, confusion on her face. Lena gives a bit of a giggle and a smile.

“So all the way to Chile right? Do ya know why? Is it super secret? Oh, oh, are you going alone?” The Brits tone, while excited all the way through, felt much more teasing as the last question was asked. Jesse, who had swiftly looked away after Lena’s start, was suddenly interested once more. Mei’s eyes linked with his once more before she started to speak.

“It is to investigate an old ecopoint, to make sure that if Talon agents were to take it over, no important data will be left behind. It’s not a secret, in fact, I was here to ask if anyone would like to join-”

Jesse couldn't keep himself from speaking up. He knew he shouldn't. Knew that attachments would make the recall ever failing that much harder, but still he spoke. “I want to go.” His voice was eager before he cleared his throat. “Been feeling awful cooped up and you could use a translator, just to be safe.”

Mei sat paused in a moment of astonishment. She had been unsure if he would be interested, given his distance through the meal, but the sudden proclamation made her heart flutter. Zenyatta gives a him of understanding before gently nudging Lucio, the realization spreading around the table but kept quiet out of respect.

“If…if you are wanting to go then I would be thankful for your company.” Mei spoke softly, thankful in the end that things had been so simple. “How soon would you be able to depart? Winston would like us to go quickly.”

McCree nods before standing up, his plate long cleared. “I reckon after a bit of rest I'll be fine and dandy.” He grins at Mei before looking to 76. The hat is removed for a moment as he thanks the soldier for the meal then quickly replaced. “Send me a message on the comms as soon as it's time to hit the trail.” Mei nods at the man before he’s back out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo. It's been a while, I know. I hope you enjoy, even if it isn't the most. Please be sure to leave any feedback. (Also sorry for lack of editing. I wanted to get this out before heading to bed. This note shall be removed sometime tomorrow.)

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by my sleeping experience last night, and the huge wish for more MeiCree in the world. I honestly would be more than willing to write more on this timeline if anyone is interested. Please feel free to give any sort of ideas or suggestions!


End file.
